trying to do it all and live to tell about it

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

I have been baking for a few years now and I have not really experimented much with vegan baking. But I think that will change. This is my second foray into vegan baking and it’s fantastic. The taste is not compromised at all. I made these cupcakes for a coworker’s birthday who is vegan. It is not easy finding vegan desserts in San Francisco particularly in the Financial District where I work. Sadly, we do not have a Babycakes bakery. So I wanted to make something myself and I feel like I say this a lot, but this was really, really easy to make.

Vegan and delicious!

I used a mixture of peanut butter, powdered sugar and water for the frosting but these were good plain too. These cupcakes fooled many who did not know they were vegan! If you make these, I bet vegan baked goods will get less of a bad rep. Try it!

Bake*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper or foil liners.*In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk.*Add in wet ingredients and mix until just combined.*Using a big spoon, fill the muffin tins evenly with batter – about 3/4 full.*Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through.

Enjoy!

Note: I used almond flour to make it more nutritious and to add a slight nutty flavor. Though please feel free to stick to the original recipe and use 1 1/2 cup of AP flour instead. I also like to use sautéed diced apples in my recipes when it calls for oil or applesauce. I think it makes a huge difference. I cooked the diced apples on low-medium heat in about 4 tablespoons of water and 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar until the liquid dissolves and the apples are tender and a bit on the mushy side, about 5-6 minutes. Feel free to modify this as well.